School leader eyes alliance with clergy

Nanci G. Hutson

Updated 11:35 pm, Friday, September 6, 2013

NEWTOWN -- The local interfaith clergy association has been a comforting force in town in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 first-graders and six of their educators Dec. 14.

The association formed by clergy of a variety of faiths -- they include Christians, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists -- meets on a monthly basis and has hosted several public events.

The central theme for all the events has been healing and recovery, with the clergy drawing on their respective faiths to offer solace and hope.

With more healing in mind, interim Schools Superintendent John Reed told the school board Tuesday night he intends to begin meeting with the association to find out what alliances the school district can make with it.

Clergy of all faiths are an "integral part of the community," Reed said, explaining he wants to tap them as a resource.

Although the details are still to be determined, Reed said he envisions numerous possibilities for how the clergy could support students and staff, including participating in annual Career Day events.

"These people know the kids ... and I think there are ways we can work together," Reed said, adding that the plan would clearly respect the federally mandated separation of church and state.

"I think there is a way they can be welcomed into our schools."

The Rev. Leo McIlrath, a local chaplain and longtime Newtown resident, said he proposed a similar idea at a recent Danbury area clergy meeting.

Rather than turning schools into citadels, McIlrath said, he suggested that clergy make it a point to visit regularly, strolling the halls as a comforting presence to students of all backgrounds and faiths.

McIlrath said he's glad to see his own town may see the value of this.

School board member John Vouros, a retired educator, said he believes the idea could prove to be a "gold mine" for students and teachers.

"All of these clergy -- and I have heard them all, and they are all brilliant -- have beautiful messages to give," Vouros said.

"If I were in the classroom and they came to speak, I would turn everything they said into a writing assignment.

"Kids would develop their own thesis statement from what they heard, and write about it. It so beautifully falls into the language arts curriculum. It's like having free lecturers."

This is not about bringing religion into classrooms, Vouros said. "It's about life lessons. I think it's fabulous."